Toothpick dispenser



y 4, 1929. l E. E. LEIMER 1,713,441

TOOTHPICK DISPENSER Filed April 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 gwwntoz /ZZ EE- Leimer attozmq Patented May 14, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

EUGENE E. LEIMER, OF PENDER, NEBRASKA.

TOOTHPICK DISPENSER.

Application filed April 5,

This invention relates to dispensing devices, and particularly to means for dispensing toothpicks.

The general object of this invention is to provide a toothpick dispensing device wherein'the depression of a push rod extending up exterior to a case causes a single toothpick to be projected from the case so that it may be entirely withdrawn therefrom.

A further object is to provide a device of this kind which shall include a toothpick compartment, means actuated by the depression of a push rod to lift a single toothpick from the compartment and discharge it over the wall of the compartment into a receiver, and then cause the receiver to move in such a manner as to project the toothpick beyond the compartment.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective vew of a toothpick dispenser constructed in accordance with my invention, the lid, front and one side wall being removed;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the dispenser;

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the dispenser.

Referring to these drawings, '10 designates an exterior case which may be of metal or any other suitable material and which is provided with the cover or lid 11. One end of the case is formed with an opening 12 through which the toothpick is to be discharged, and the lid '11 is formed with an opening 13 through which the operating element extends.

Disposed within the case 10 is a toothpick receptacle 14 having a downwardly inclined bottom 15 which extends toward the inner wall 16 of the receptacle. The bottom 15 is formed with two slots 17. The inner wall 16 16 of the receptacle at its end adjacent the opening 12 is formed with an approximately U-shaped receiver 18 into which one end of the toothpick is discharged after the toothpick has been lifted over the upper edge of the wall 16.

Extending upward from the bottom of the case 10 are the upwardly and inwardly inclined legs 19 cut away at their upper ends and supporting a transverse 20. Rock- 1928. Serial No. 267,641.

ingly mounted upon this pin is a lever 21. Operating in suitable guides on the end wall of the case is the push rod 22 which extends out through the aperture 13.

This push rod is longitudinally slotted, as at 23, and carries upon it the laterally proecting arm 24 which is angularly bent and connected by a link 25 to one end of the lever 21. When the push rod 22 is de pressed, this end of the lever 21 will also be depressed and the opposite end raised. The opposite end of this lever is linked by a link 26 to the crank arm 27 formed upon a transverse shaft 28 held in place against the side wall of the case by a bearing plate 29. This shaft 28 at its end opposite the crank arm 27 carries the radially extending arm 30. This arm carries a transversely extending pintle 31. Two lifters 32 are rovided operating through the slots 17, the lower ends of these lifters being shown as operatively connected to each other by a transverse member 33 which is formed to provide two heads 34 engaging around the pintle 31. Thus these arms have hinged engagement with the pintle 31, and when one end of the lever 21 is depressed by the depression of the push rod' 22, the other end of the lever will be raised, turning the shaft, lifting the arm 30, and raising the lifters 32. A spring 33 acts to resist this lifting movement.

The upper ends of the lifters 32 are angular with relation to the longitudinal axis of the lifters, as at 32, and when these lifters are lowered, the ends 32 are disposed flush with the angular bottom '15. When the lifters are raised, they carry up with them a toothpick and the extent of movement of the lifters is such that when the member 22 is depressed fully, the lifters are carried up somewhat above the upper edge of the wall Pivotally mounted on a transverse pin 35 is a lever of wire or other suitable metal formed to provide a U-shaped yoke 36 which extends toward the push rod or plunger'22,

while the other end of the lever is formed to provide a single arm 37 which normally extends outward and upward. A lug 38 carried upon the plunger or push rod 22 is adapted to en age the u per end of the yoke 36, that is, tlfis end of t e lever, and obviously when the push rod is depressed the lever will be rocked and the arm 37 will be carried from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2. A leaf spring 39, which is approximately V-shaped in form, has its bight portion disposed beneath the pintle 35. One arm 40 of this spring extends upward and outward and is disposed within the slot 23. The arm of the spring 39 extends upward and forward and extends over the angular bend d1 formed in the extremity of the arm 37 This spring 39 at its forward end carries upon it a transversely U-shaped carrier or trough 12, the extremity of the spring 39 forming the rear end ofthis trough. The arm' 10 of the spring 39 is attached to the adjacent end wall of the casing.

Upon a depression of the plunger 22, the spring will be flexed or the two arms of the spring forced toward each other, and

this will elevate the receiver or trough 12 from the position shown in Figure 1 to the position shown in Figure 2. At the same time that'this occurs, that is, at the time that the'inner arm of the spring is moving upward to carry the member 42 into position of alignment with the receiver 18, the lifters 32 are being shifted upward.

These lifters then ride upward against the inner face of the wall 16 so that coincidently with the arrival of the receiver 42 at the top of the wall 16, the lifters also arrive at the top of the wall but move slightly beyond the top of the wall so that the toothpick carried thereby is discharged over onto the receivers 42 and 18. Upon the release of the plunger or push rod 22,,the spring 39 will act to return the plunger to its raised position and shift the carrier 4-2 toward the carrier 18, the end of the spring which forms the rear wall of the carrier acting to push the toothpick out through the aperture 12, from which the toothpick may be readily pulled. The spring 33, of course, acts toreturn the Y lifters 32 to their original positions so that another toothpick will rest upon the top of the lifters ready for a second actuation.

The top or lid of the casing 10 is formed with the aperture 13 for the plunger 22 and the opposite end of the casing is formed with a recess to fit over the carrier 18 and constitute a cover therefor. The central portion of the top is preferably of transparent material, as indicated at 43-, so that a user may see whether or not there are toothpicks in the receptacle and also so that an operator can see just how much pressure is necessary in order to dispense a toothpick.

While I have described and illustrated a certain specific embodiment of my invention which has been found to be thoroughly effective, I do not wish to be limited to this as it is obvious that slight changes might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Attention is particularly called to the fact that the upper end of the wall 16 is slightly deflected toward the toothpick receptacle, as at 16. This deflection is very important because if there is more than one toothpick picked up on the lifters 32, this bend in the wall 16 will throw them off. This bend 16 will onlypormit one toothpick to stay on the lifters 32, whereas if there is no bend more than one toothpick will be onthese lifters and thrown over the wall into the receivers 18 and 42. This bend is very slight but is very necessary.

I claim 1. A toothpick dispenser of the character described comprising an outer casing, a receptacle for toothpicks, a plunger mounted in the casing, the casing opposite the plunger being formed with an aperture for the discharge of toothpicks, lifters operating through the receptacle and acting to lift a tooth pick upward adjacent the inner wall of the receptacle and over said wall when a lifter has been fully raised, a trough-shaped carrier disposed at the forward end of said inner wall adjacent said aperture, a carrier movable upward along the outer face of said inner wall to a position of approximate alignment with the first, named carrier, said second named carrier being lifted by a depression of the plunger, and means acting to return the second named carrier to its in- 109 itial position and the lifters to their initial position, the return movement of the carrier acting to project the toothpick through said aperture. r

2. A toothpick dispenser of the character described including an outer casing, a toothpick container disposcd within the receptacle and having a downwardly and laterally inclined bottom,the bottom being slotted, the inner wall of said receptacle extending up- 110 ward to the top of the casing and being formed at one end wih an approximately U- shaped toothpick carrier, the end wall of the casing being open at this point to permit the projection of a toothpick, an arm 1 pivoted upon one side wall of the casing, a pair of lifters operating through said slots and operatively connected to said arm to be lifted by the movement of the same, a plunger extendingupward through the top of the casing, means operated by the plunger for causing movement of said arm and the upward movement of the lifters, a lever pivotally supported intermediate its ends in the casing and having at one end an approximately U-shaped carrier adapted, when the lever is raised, to be in alignment with the first named carrier, the lever in its downward movement movingdownward and forward, a spring urging the lever downward, and an operative connection between the lever and the plunger whereby to cause the lifting of the carrier supporting end of the lever upon a downward movement of the plunger. V

3. A toothpick dispenser. of the character described comprising an outer case, a toothpick container disposed within the case and having a bottom extending downwardly and laterally to the inner wall of the container, the upper margin of the inner wall adjacent one end of the case being formed with a U-shaped toothpick receiver and the end wall of the case having an opening coinciding with said receiver, a pair of lifters operating through the bottom of the container and having their ends bearing against the inside wall of the container at all times, means for raising said lifters comprising a shaft having an arm engaging the lifters at one end, the other end of the shaft having a crank arm, a lever mounted in the case adjacent one end thereof and operatively connected at one end to said crank arm, a plunger operating through the case and operatively connected to the other arm of the lever, a U-shaped lever pivotally supported within the case, one arm terminating adjacent the path of movement of the plunger and the plunger having a lug engaging this arm, a leaf spring having one arm attached to the end wall of the case and the other arm engaging with one arm of the lever, said last named arm of the spring carrying at its upper end a U-shaped carrier disposed, when the plunger is depressed, in a position of alignment with the first named carrier, the two levers being so connected to the plunger that. when the plunger is depressed the lifters will be raised coincidently with the raising of said carrier-supporting arm.

4. A toothpick dispenser of the character described comprising a casing, a toothpick container mounted in the casing, the bottom of the container extending downward and inward and intersecting the inner wall of the container, the bottom being provided with a pair of slots, the inner wall of the container adjacent the end wall of the casing being provided with a U-shaped carrier, the end wall of the casing having an opening communicating with the carrier, lifters having their upper ends disposed in said slots and normally disposed below the bottom of the container, a shaft mounted within the casing and having an arm at one end operat-ively engaging said lifters, the other end of the shaft having a crank arm, a transversely extending lever ally supported intermediateits ends and at one end operatively connected to the crank arm, a plunger disposed adjacent one end of the casing and extending up above the same and having an operative connection pivotwith the other end of said lever, a lever pivoted intermediate'its ends and having one arm adapted to be operatively engaged by the plunger upon its descent, the lever oscillating in a vertical plane parallel and adjacent to the inside wall of the container, a U-shaped spring having'one arm engaged by the last named arm of the lever and the other arm extending upward and engaged with an end wall of the casing adjacent the plunger, the first named arm of the spring carrying at its upper end a toothpick carrier closed at its inner end adapted to align with the first named carrier when this arm of the spring is raised upon a. depression of the plunger, the downward movement of the carrier acting to project the toothpick disposed therein by the lifter outward through the opening in the end wall of the casing.

5. A toothpick dispenser including a casing, a toothpick container disposed within the casing, a plunger, means operating upon a descent of the lunger to lift a toothpick to the top of t e container, a toothpick carrier adapted to receive the toothpick when it is discharged from the container, the carrier being connected to the plunger and acting upon. a return movement of the plunger to discharge a toothpick out of the casing, means acting to return the plunger to its initial position, and a cover for the casing having a transparent panel whereby the contents of the container may be seen and the operation of the mechanism noted.

6. A toothpick dispenser of the character described comprisinga casing a toothpick container mounted therein, a p unger, means operating upon the descent of the plunger acting to lift a toothpick upward and discharge it over the inner wall of the container, a carrier mounted upon the inner wall of the container into which the forward end of the toothpick is discharged, a. vertically movable carrier adapted to receive the rear end of the toothpick and moved into a position to receive the toothpick upon a downward movement of the plunger, and means returning the plunger and the last named carrier to their normal posit-ions, the descent of the last named carrier acting to project the toothpick out through the casing.

-7. A toothpick dispenser of the character described comprising an outer casing, 21 receptacle for toothpicks, a plunger mounted in the casing, the casing opposite the plunger being formed with an aperture for the discharge of toothpicks, lifters operating through the receptacle and acting tolift a toothpick upward adjacent the inner wall of the receptacle and over said wall when a lifter has been fully raised, the inner wall of the receptacle at its upper margin being deflected inward, a trough-shaped carrier disposed at the forward end of said inner initial position and the lifters to their initial wall ad acent said aperture, a carrier Inovposition, the return movement of the carrier 1 able upward along the outer face of said acting to project a toothpick through said inner wall to a position of approximate aperture. 7

alignment with the first named carrier, said In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my second named carrier being lifted by a designature.

pression of the plunger, and means acting to return the second named carrier to its EUGENE E. LEIMER. 

